It is common practice to provide utility rods with caps, plates, or other covers to hide the fasteners with which the rods and racks are attached to a wall or other support. Similarly, it is common to provide the ends of rods and racks with caps or plugs that cover the ends of the rods and racks so as to hide the hollow interiors of the rods and racks and cover the exposed, often sharp edges at the ends of the rods and racks.
Unfortunately, the plates, caps, and covers typically require additional structure and attachments such as set screws, clips, or the like. As a result, wall plates and covers frequently stick out from the wall or other mounting surface, because they must incorporate additional parts that permit the cover to be secured. If the covers, caps, or plates are not themselves firmly secured, they may detach under use, causing the towel bar or rack to fall from its mount, expose the wall attachment and fasteners, and/or cause the towel bar or rack to loosen and move about when being used. It is also frequently the case that the wall covers must have a shape that matches the wall mount.
Due to insecure attachments, end caps for rods and bars may also loosen and fall off, exposing the hollow interior of the rod or rack and the sharp, unattractive ends of the rods or racks.
In addition, such end caps, plates, caps, and covers are usually made of the same materials as are the rods and attachments—i.e., they are made to match the utility rod or rack and do not have the flexibility to easily accommodate different shapes or different designs and/or artwork that may better suit the décor of a room, the interests of the users of the rods or racks, or seasonal themes. And, many such end caps cannot be changed without removing the rod or rack from the wall.
For example, Bell U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,423 discloses a wall mount cover arrangement that includes an escutcheon, a backing plate, a stud, seals and grommet, and the resulting wall mount sticks out some distance from the wall. The end cap also includes an assembly of several parts including a head, a hub, a shank, and insert, a ring, and a threaded shank, which is secure, but not easily changed. No provision or suggestion is made for decorative cover plates, decorative end caps, or advertising indicia.
Katz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,648 includes a spacer that covers a threaded rod to attach the base to the mount, and a slot along the rear surface of the rod. A set screw is used to lock the towel bar in place. A cap covers the distal end of the towel bar. No provision or suggestion is made for decorative cover plates, decorative end caps, or advertising indicia.
Klein U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,248 shows a bulky wall attachment that encloses a set screw that is installed in an apparent separate wall mount. Additional set screws are mounted in the ends of the wall mount attachment to secure a cross rod to the wall mounts. No provision is made for changing decorative wall plates or rod end caps or for placing messages thereon.